When Teresa and I were lucky enough to meet Iron Chef Chen Kenichi last year at his Shisen Hanten Restaurant, one of the best moments of the evening was when he brought us into his kitchen and demonstrated an eggplant dish he was making for the staff. (He also gave us a bowl to take back to the table.) The dish was just like Chen himself: spicy, tangy, down-to-earth, and full of authentic Chinese flavor. I will never forget that experience.

So when I picked up his Knockout Chinese cookbook, which is a great little book, by the way, I was delighted to find a similar “mapo” style eggplant and pork recipe inside. It’s simple, fun to cook, and tastes great. Chen combines Japanese and Chinese style cuisine in a highly delicious manner.

I’ve illustrated it here and re-written a few things to make them extra clear. Even if you are not a huge fan of eggplant, I can pretty much ensure you will enjoy this.